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TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY

DOCTOR WHO- INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS (1974)
Story No. 71
DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS:  148 minutes (six episodes on disc 1), two disc set, audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, deleted scenes, productions notes subtitle option, photo gallery, PDF materials
VIDEO:  1.33:1 (Full Frame)
AUDIO:  English 2.0 Mono
Subtitles:  English SDH

STUDIO:  BBC/ 2 entertain/ Warner Bros Home Video
RELEASE DATE:  1-10-2011
Originally broadcast 1-12-1974 to 2-16-1974 on BBC One

The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) find London deserted after they return from their latest trip in the TARDIS.   London has been evacuated due to mysterious appearances of dinosaurs that have been roaming the streets.   The Doctor searches for the source of these appearances as the Brigadier and UNIT fend off attacks.   They even have to contend with sabotage to their efforts.

INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS aired during Jon Pertwee's fifth and final year as the third version of the Doctor.   The story is from another excellent script by Malcolm Hulke (this script was to be his last for DOCTOR WHO).    The big problem are the dinosaurs which look very stiff and have gained INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS  with the reputation of the dodgy dinosaur story.    The first disc includes the option to play episode one in black and white (since all copies of the color story are believed to be lost) or in color (using the revolutionary Color Recovery Process which can bring out the lost color signals from episodes converted to black and white- with mixed results that works better for some episodes compared to others).

SPECIAL FEATURES:
On disc one is an audio commentary with actors Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates), Peter Miles (Professor Whitaker), Terrance Wilton (Mark), production designer Richard Morris, script editor Terrance Dicks and director Paddy Russell, as moderated by Toby Hadoke.   An additional ten minute audio commentary for episode five with John Levene (Sgt. Benton) is included on disc two.   Still I think the optional production notes subtitle track for the episodes are more entertaining to read while watching the episodes than listening to the audio commentaries.

Disc two has several features, four minutes of deleted scenes cut for pacing, a photo gallery, PDF Materials (Radio Times listings that can be viewed via DVD-ROM on a computer).

PEOPLE, POWER, AND PUPPETRY is a thirty-two minute making-of that covers the ups and downs of making INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS including the original story line that was changed to INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS and resulted in the dodgy dinosaur story.   The making-of documentary features interviews with various cast and crew from the story in addition to clips from the story and photos.
NOW AND THEN is a tour of the locations used for the story and showing what they look like today.   Many of the locations haven't changed.
DOCTOR WHO STORIES: ELISABETH SLADEN Part 1 features the first part of an interview with the actress sometime before her death as she recounts how she was chosen for the role (she was the replacement since Pertwee didn't approve of the statuesque actress originally cast for the role) and various stories from her first season as Sarah Jane Smith (including a prank played on her about needing special CSO underwear for the blue screen scenes).

Also included on the disc is a short clip from BILLY SMART'S CIRCUS which features an appearance from Jon Pertwee as the Doctor and the infamous Whomobile (which Pertwee specially made for the series).

FINAL ANALYSIS:   Despite some dinosaurs effects that didn't quite work, INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS is another good DOCTOR WHO story from the Jon Pertwee error despite some logic flaws that can be forgiven for the sakes of the story.

this DVD review is (c)1-16-2012 David Blackwell and cnanot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com   (Please no spam, only emails relating to the site and reviews/ articles).